Draft gear



Patented Aiipr. l?, i923.

eaTsnT @Trui HERMAN C. PRIEBE, OF ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed September 5, 1919.

To all 107mm 'it may conce/m.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN C. Pinnen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State or Illinois, have invented a certain new and 'useful Improvement in Draft Gears, of which the following` is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to draft gears of the type employing inner and outer followers actuated by couplers, rockers individual to the followers and movable thereby, and means, operating through said rockers, for resisting the approach of the followers to ward each other. Thisy motion resisting means is preferably in the .form of spring mechanism, particularly where friction is not relied upon to resist the relative movement of the followers.

It is the object of `my invention to improve the construction and arrangement of the component parts of the gear which have been named whereby the desired effectiveness in operation may be secured with the most simple construction of gear.

In practising my invention I employ at least two or more sets of rockers, eachset having one rocker individual to each follower and movable thereby. The two rockers of each set interact by providingthem with opposed engaging faces and are interposed between the motion resisting means which is subdivided into two elements each element being individual to a follower and in alinement with the other element and with both followers. The engaging rocker is formed with a projection, extending longitudinally of the gear, that overlaps the other whereby displacement of the rockers is prevented. I preferably provide two such projections, spaced apart, upon one rocker and a single one upon the other that enters the space between the two projections.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure l is a sectional view taken generally on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken generally on line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;`Fig. t is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a view illustrating some of the elements appearing in Fig. l but in changed positions; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a folby means of rivets or boltsa.

side of each Serial No. 321,931.

lower and two rockers belonging to different sets and each individual to said follower'. l

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The coupler l has a coupler shank 2 to which the outer ends of a yoke 3 are secured An outer follower 5 is engaged by the coupler butt 6 and is moved inwardly whenever the coupler is subjected to sufficient pushing strain. The inner follower 7 is engaged by the inner end of the coupler yoke 3 and is movable outwardly when the coupler is subjected to sufficient pulling strain. The extent to which the outer follower is movable outwardly is limited by the outer stops 8. The extent to which the .inner follower 7 is movable inwardly is limited by the inner stops 9. All of said stops are riveted against the center sills l0 that form a part of the underframe structure of a car equipped with the draft gear. The followers 5 and 7 are in the nature of spring barrels which house the cooperating spring elements ll and l2 of mechanism that is employed to resist the movement of either follower toward the other and to effect the y return of the followers toward the stops retwo upright each rocker follower 7, seats or mountings 71 one for cach roclter 14- to rock upon. The rockers thus turn in lioriaontal planes and interact by being pressed in direct engagement by the springs.11, 12 of the motion resisting mechanism, these springs serving to oppose the relative movenientl of the followers by opposing the attendant follower effected rocking movement of the rockers. The rockers of each set, are formed with engaging fac whereby each rocker of a set causes the other rocker of the same set to turn upon its seat or mounting. Finch rocker has a part thereof which is in engagement with the seat provided upon the follower individual thereto curved to form a segment of a cyl- ,leaving projections inder, the seat upon the follower engaged thereby being similarly curved. By this construction each rocker has an axis of `rotation which is substantially fixed with respect to the follower individual thereto. The aforesaid seats 51, 71 and the rockers engaging the same are placed upright, the follower being provided with inner ledges 52 between which the rockers 13 are disposed and the follower 7 being provided with outer ledges 72 between which the rockers 14 are disposed,these ledges preventing the rockers from moving up and down materially.

The engaging' face on each rocker is formed with a projection 16 extending longitudinally of the gear and engaging a face 15 on the other rocker. There are desirably two spaced apart projections 16 upon one rocker that receive the projection on the other rocker therebetween, the latterl projection underlying one of the other two and overlying the other, each projection upon each rocker engaging the body portion of the other. By this arrangement the contacting surfaces are increased and the interprevent the rockers from falling out.

`By the arrangement illustrated each spring acts upon both rockers of a set and the rockers form a motion resisting means between the springs, all of these elements thus being interacting when either follower is in motion. Moreover, the entire structure is very compact, being embraced between the sides of the yoke and the center sills.

1V hile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; springs, one .individual to each follower, for resisting the approach of the followers toward each other; and two rockers having opposed engaging faces, one rocker being individual to each follower and a'ctuatable thereby7 said rockers being interposed between and engaged by said springs to maintain the rockers in contact and resist follower effected movement thereof, each rocker being formed with a projection extending longitudinally of the gear one projection overlying the other, each projection upon each rocker engagingthe body portion of the other rocker.

2. ,fr draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; springs, one individual to each follower, for resisting the approach of the followers toward each other; and two rockers having opposed engaging faces, one rocker being individual toy each follower and aotuatable thereby, said rockers vbeing interposed between land engaged by said springs to maintain the rockers in contact and resist follower effected movement thereof, one rocker being formed with one projection extending longitudinally of the gear and` the other rocker being formedy with two such projections that are spaced apart and receive the first projection therebetween, said first projection underlying one of the other two projections and overlying the other,'each projection upon each roc-ker engaging the body portion ofthe other rocker.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of August A. D., 1919.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

